Ibis Styles Sydney

Created for the lobby of Ibis Styles Sydney Central, this large scale mural forms the visual gateway to both the hotel and Meeso restaurant. Positioned directly within the arrival sequence, it creates an immediate visual encounter for guests entering the building and is also visible from the street, extending the artwork beyond the interior and into the public realm

Developed in consultation with Salter Brothers and WMK Architects, the work was conceived as a bold, playful intervention within a highly transient space. Rather than allowing the lobby to function simply as a point of passage, the mural introduces colour, energy and a strong sense of identity, setting the tone for the broader hotel experience.  

The composition layers saturated pinks, corals, yellows and acid tones with aqua, pale blue, teal and deep navy. Expressive brushwork is combined with dripping veils of paint, loose gestural linework and sprayed marks, creating a dynamic surface that carries movement across the full scale of the wall.

Painted entirely onsite, the mural developed through a combination of an approved design framework and the intuitive decision making inherent in Martinich’s abstract painting practice. The process allowed colour, mark and gesture to respond directly to the proportions, light and movement of the lobby as the work evolved.  

The hotel’s self check in and checkout stations are positioned in front of the mural, bringing the artwork into direct dialogue with one of the most functional points of the guest journey. Rather than operating simply as a backdrop, the mural becomes part of the arrival experience itself, framing these everyday interactions with colour and creating a distinctive visual anchor within the lobby.

The finished work transforms a transitional space into a memorable first encounter: part gateway, part wayfinding device and part expression of the hotel’s personality. Its scale and visibility give the lobby an immediate sense of character, while glimpses of the mural from outside draw the energy of the interior out towards the street.

Client: Salter Brothers
Architecture: WMK Architects
Artist: Rowena Martinich
Location: Ibis Styles Sydney Central, Sydney, NSW

Photography Credits: Damien Ford & Steven Woodburn